1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for applying labels to goods of any type, but having particular application to the application of labels to fruit and vegetables moving in a plurality of columns on a conveyer belt, the apparatus particularly adapted to permit positioning a greater number of labeling assemblies transverse to the conveyer in less linear space relative to the conveyer belt.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most manufactured or harvested items on their journey during the manufacturing process or the post-harvest processing are subjected to travel at some point in time on a conveyer means, either for inspection, grading, or labeling, prior to their final packaging station. Applicant""s invention has application to any situation where an item of manufacture requires the application of a label, but Applicant""s apparatus has a special application to the application of labels on to fruit and vegetables.
The fruit and vegetables harvested from the field once cleaned and separated are normally fed onto a conveyer system in which the individual pieces of fruit and vegetables can be inspected, sorted, sized, graded and weighed. The elaborate computer assisted conveyer system utilized for this sorting, sizing, grading or weighing of fruits and vegetables automatically transfers similarly graded fruits or vegetables to their own separate conveyer means. Each piece of fruit or vegetable may be required to have a label affixed thereto. Since the effort has been undertaken to examine the fruit and vegetables and to sort it into the various grades, it is undesirable at this stage to damage the fruit or vegetable in the labeling process. Current state of the art machines will often times wound or mar the individual piece of fruit or vegetable in the labeling process.
The fruit and vegetables moving along a conveyer line do not always remain stationary, but sometimes rather, roll, spin and tumble as they are transported. Current state of the art label applicators will often times completely miss individual pieces of fruit and vegetables because of their motion. Still further, current state of the art label applicators cannot respond to random product sizes, shapes or weights, and this often times contributes to the wounding or marring of the surface of the fruit or vegetable or completely missing the labeling application.
As a result of these shortcomings in the prior art, the fruit and vegetable packers must employ additional people along the product line to watch for evidence of wounded fruit or vegetables or missed labels. They must also watch the labeling machines which are subject to jamming. They must also watch the conveyer means to insure that the labeling machines are applying the label to each and every piece of fruit and vegetable that requires labeling which is passing through the labeling station.
A still further draw back of the present art is that the computer assisted conveyer mechanism identifies the particular type of label to be put on a particular item or fruit or vegetable. When that particular item, fruit or vegetable reaches a particular station having that particular label, the label is applied. In large operations, the conveyer belt must be in communication with multiple stations having multiple labels. Each time a station is added to the conveyer line, the line must become longer in order to accommodate the removal of an item, fruit or vegetable having the same label into an alternate conveyer line for packing, or results in the blockage of existing alternative conveyors and/or stations. As an example, a conveyer line having five columns would need two stations spaced sufficiently apart in order to allow an item, fruit or vegetable being labeled at the first station to be removed before that column engages the second station. This leads to inefficiencies in productivity, blockage of conveyor product exits, reduction of off line packing stations, loss of profitability, and exaggerated costs in the length of conveyer systems. Applicant""s apparatus is capable of positioning multiple labeling apparatus hereinafter referred to as a label or labeling platform on a common bridge spanning the conveyer line such that labels of a different type may be applied to the items, (fruit or vegetable) within a span of approximately 10xc2xdxe2x80x3. Still further, the design of Applicant""s bridge and labeling platform allows for the operator to make a quick replacement of a labeling platform when that mechanism has run out of labels since the bridge provides common utilities and vacuum to each of the plurality of labeling platforms through separate and discrete labeling stations.
Applicant""s label applicator eliminates the wounding, bruising, crushing, peeling of scuffing of the fruit or vegetable, in that the machine does not come in contact with the individual piece of fruit and vegetable, but rather transfers the label by a vacuum jet process. Further, Applicant""s label applicator requires no adjustment for random product sizes, shapes or weights, and insures that a label is applied regardless of whether the produce is rolling, spinning, tumbling or the like.
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel method and apparatus for applying labels to an item of manufacture or harvest in which multiple label platforms are positioned in relation to the conveyer belt on a common bridge having a plurality of label stations accommodating the labeling platforms providing common utilities and vacuum to each label station, each label platform capable of being quickly removed and replaced at each labeling station with a new labeling platform when depleted of labels.
Another object of the present invention is to provide for a novel method and apparatus for applying labels to items of manufacture or harvest which allows the operator to place more label platforms in relation to the conveyer mechanism without having to extend the length of the conveyer system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus for applying labels to items of manufacture or harvest.
Another object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus for application of labels to items of manufacture or harvest which does not require the apparatus to come in contact with the item of manufacture or harvest.
A further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus for applying labels to fruits or vegetables which eliminates the bruising, crushing, peeling or scuffing of the fruit or vegetable.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus for the application of labels to fruit or vegetables which requires no adjustments for random product sizes, shapes or weights.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus for application of labels to fruits or vegetables which provides for application of the label regardless of whether the fruit or vegetable is rolling, spinning or tumbling.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus for the application of labels to fruits or vegetables which greatly reduces or eliminates the need for personnel to have to attend to the labeling process.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus for the application of labels to fruit or vegetables which increases productivity and decreases down time on the conveyer system.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for an apparatus for the application of labels to fruits or vegetables which can run at higher speeds than that of the prior art.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus that does not require any label set up adjustment.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus that permits flexibility in label web tension, thus minimizing the possibility of the web breaking or tearing during the labeling process.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for absolute minimal maintenance and service.
A method and apparatus for transferring a discrete pressure sensitive label from a continuous web of discrete pressure sensitive labels to a continuous series of discrete objects wherein the web and labels are mounted on a discrete labeling platform and are brought into contact tangentially with a perforated rotating transfer means mounted on a hub on the labeling platform, the web and labels in contact with the perforated rotating transfer means for a portion of its arc of circumference, the label being subjected to a vacuum during rotation while simultaneously redirecting the web away from the perforated rotating transfer means, the label maintaining contact with the rotating transfer means until registration with a pressure port at which point the label is subjected to a pressurized gas flow and is blown from the rotating ring to the object to be labeled when that object is in registration and alignment with the pressure port there being a plurality of labeling platforms mounted on one side or opposing sides of a bridge positioned relative to the continuous series of discrete objects, the bridge providing common utility and vacuum to each labeling platform so as to allow quick replacement of a depleted frame.